The study derives from the concepts of victimology and the reorientation in the child development research which emphasizes the bidirectional nature of parent-child relationship. It is hypothesized that the abused child is an active contributor to the interaction which culminates in child abuse and that the abuse event is the result of stimulus-response reciprocity among participants in the abuse incident. The child's contribution to the abuse event is studied through a review of abuse report forms and social agency records, interviews with 100 parents who have been identified as abusers and laboratory research which replicates selective aspects of abuse interaction. The objective is to increase effectiveness of protective treatment programs by providing a better understanding of the child's behavior which increases risk of abuse.